[Disclaimer: The information on this page represents my own perspective, practices, beliefs, and experiences. I am not a botanist nor am I a doctor or nutritionist. I have done my research and each reader must do his own. I take no responsibility for an individual reading and using this information. SOME PLANTS CAN KILL YOU OR MAKE YOU SICK IF YOU EAT THEM OR HANDLE THEM WRONGLY SO YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE WILD EDIBLES THAT YOU MIGHT INTERESTED IN USING OR INGESTING. YOU ALSO NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THEIR ACTION AND INTERACTION WITH MEDICINES, ETC. PREGNANT WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN, OLD PEOPLE, PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC DISEASES (DIABETES, ETC.), CAN BE NEGATIVELY/BADLY AFFECTED BY THINGS THAT HEALTHY PEOPLE CAN TOLERATE. I HAVE EATEN WILD EDIBLES--SO HAVE NATIVE AMERICANS, EUROPEAN AMERICANS, AFRICAN AMERICANS, AND TRIBAL PEOPLES. FOR ME, LEARNING THIS KNOWLEDGE HAS JUST BEEN RECAPPING AND LEARNING WHAT GOD GAVE US FOR FREE OUTSIDE. THIS PAGE IS JUST A PLACE FOR SOMEONE TO GET SOME INFORMATION--IT WILL NOT MAKE YOU AN EXPERT. I take no repsonsibility for the use, non-use, abuse, misuse, etc. of this information. Some weeds have medicinal action. I have heard that dock is so high in vitamin A that we don't need to eat more than two inches of it (maybe the person meant raw, I don't know)--and yet it is good to know about dock--some children have lost their eyesight (especially in "developing"/raped countries) for lack of vitamin A. If you are taking medication, you will want to be sure that eating wild edibles will not negatively impact your body. If you are a woman with child, you will not want to eat these things without ensuring that there are no contraindications (ill side effects) for you--or the baby in your womb. The very young, the sick, women with child, lactating (breastfeeding) women, those with chronic diseases, and the elderly can be afflicted by things that most healthy persons can tolerate. Talking to a knowledgeable doctor and performing research examining multiple sources is important. Look for what can go wrong. Look up the words "dangers" and "contradindications". This page could be used as a primer based on a few weeds I've interacted with but it is by no means authoritative. You need to know something about their action under various conditions and what parts you can eat and can not eat. A potato is good, BUT ONLY EAT THE POTATO PART of the plant. A person cannot just eat any plant or any portion of any plant. Irresponsible actions can kill.. Consult multiple color photographic references (not drawings). Even if you go on a weed walk with what seems to be an expert, double-check everything. Further down this page is a list of resources that I have found helpful--for those interested in further research. CHILDREN DO NOT EAT ANY WEEDS WITHOUT YOUR PARENTS' PERMISSION!]

Let's go on a Weed Walk.

In Year 3 of our homeschool, we went on a Weed Walk similar in scope to what you will see here. It was an important, eye-opening milestone in our journey to learning about the wild food outside that you can eat. After we came home, somehow our eyes were lightened to see plants that we could eat. On one memorable day, I looked down and exclaimed, "That's chickweed!" I did not know that that was chickweed, but at the same time I did know it. We looked it up in a book and it was chickweed and we ate it. We had one or two books (with photos, not drawings) that we could reference to confirm the edibility of our finds. After that first sighting, I no longer needed a photo of chickweed...

With our new knowledge, we stopped applying poison (pesticides, herbicides, Monsanto chemicals, etc.) to our yard, and waited a year. We then began eating wild edibles that found their way into the yard. We developed a desire to know about the trees and plants in our own yard. When treemen and others have come to my home, I've gotten my burning questions answered--"What kind of tree is this?"--without taking up taking too much of their time. After talking with several individuals, I've been able to identify most of the trees in my yard.

When I see a new weed, I take mental note. All of the plants on this page, except for the comfrey (someone gave me a root), have found their own way into our yard. There are others, but I have found the ones on this page to be some of the most common and/or useful wild edibles. For us, foraging, preparing, and eating wild edibles is a delightful, liberating activity. There is enough food outside to eat. We once had a disorganized weed garden in a shady spot, but I want to try again, this time with a larger, more formalized weed garden in a sunnier spot with chief specimen plants for eating, learning, identification, and passing on this simple, liberating knowledge to future generations [UPDATE: the deer and groundhogs may not let that happen; they just love the pickings, and, based on quickly disappearing water, we believe that the deer use the birdbath at times to quench their thirst during their meal.].

Before we begin our Weed Walk, a word of caution is in order here:

Make sure that you are able to positively identify any wild edibles that you are interested in eating. Check several photographic references to help you to make positive identification.

The Universal Edibility Test was developed for those times when there is any doubt--but never test mushrooms or wild carrot type plants. These types of plants can be highly toxic and fatal. If you cannot expertly identify them it is best to leave them alone.

Do not eat weeds from areas treated with herbicides or pesticides or from areas less than 100 feet from the road, especially a busy road.

Always know which parts of a plant that you can eat. On some plants you can eat the leaves. On another plant, the leaves will kill you and the stem can be eaten. On yet another plant, you can eat all of it.

After we examine and discuss some weeds, those that are interested can take the Weed Walk Quiz in order to test their ability to identify these plants.

Lamb's Quarters. There was a widow woman who had children to feed. A man pointed out Lamb's Quarters to her and said something like this, "Do you see that plant over there? You can collect it and eat it. You and your children can live off of it until you can find work." Lamb's Quarters is sometimes called "goosefoot" because of the shape of its leaves. Its root brings up trace minerals as well as calcium, potassium and iron but it is still a mild tasting green. It can be cooked like spinach or placed raw in a salad. Lamb's Quarters is one of the most nutritious plants available--Amaranth is said to be number 1 and Lamb's Quarters number 2.

[Aside: Linda Runyon's book, Essential Wild Foods Survival Guide, has nutritional data on these and other wild edibles. A Recommended Daily Allowance chart is below. Some believe some of its figures may be too low for optimal health. For instance, the RDA says 60 mg of vitamin C daily, whereas I heard from one source that our fathers may have consumed 350-400 mg. Vitamin C is has been used clinically to fight infections (ref. The Clinical Experiences of Frederick R. Klenner, MD. Clinical Guide to the Use of Vitamin C, Abbreviated, Summarized and Annotated by Lendon H. Smith, M.D. . The booklet is online for free, I purchased it from Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation. As with all things, when reading this book, prove all things and cleave to that which is good. After carefully reviewing and making notes, you may wish to see this dosage chart. The Clinical Experiences of Dr. Klenner notes that when therapeutic levels of vitamin C are taken, one needs to take 1,000 mg of calcium daily because the vitamin C pulls calcium ions from blood platelets thereby decreasing blood clotting ability. Before embarking on any treatment, each person must do adequate research--do not just take my word for it or even just one doctor's word for it. And don't believe everything that you read or hear--evil men and seducers are waxing worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.) and most of us know how important vitamin C is to ward off scurvy. I was once told to take 4000-5000 mg of Vitamin C daily for a sinus infection (that may not be enough for some-->). [UPDATE: Based on an incident I read of in Steve Hickey and Andrew Saul's book "Vitamin: The Real Story" (chapter 6, first two paragraphs starting on page 103) I took massive amounts of vitamin C when I was becoming more and more closed up with what was probably a sinus infection. I was not reaching bowel tolerance even after taking about 40,000 mg of vitamin C over the course of a day or so (normally I reach bowel tolerance after just a few thousand milligrams). Soon after I began taking the vitamin C, I could discern the "crackling" in my nasal cavity like when I take antibiotics for a sinus infection. Result: I did not have to make my usual visit to the doctor for antibiotics, a first.] I don't want to pile on too much information here, but sometimes people are so enthused about things that they do not warn people as they ought to. I found out all this information piecemeal. LOOK FOR CONTRAINDICATIONS (THINGS THAT CAN GO WRONG) FOR EVERYTHING, INCLUDING RAW MILK!]

Notice how it looks dusty/powdery on its center leaves. This look distinguishes it from its dangerous look alike. The plant can get very large, as in four feet, maybe more. One day I cut off a branch and a few days later I noticed that two branches had taken its place! Okay, let us pick a few leaves of this plant and place them in our basket. Along the way, I will pick a few greens for the basket here and there. Lamb's Quarters can be eaten raw in a salad but if you are going to eat a lot of it a day, it is said that you should boil it first and discard the water because the goosefoot greens (including amaranth) have more than the usual amount of oxalic acid (too much oxalate can cause kidney stones). I am leary of any plants like this or polkweed when they have very red stems, I pick from them when they have green stems with maybe a little red. I think that the red indicates high nitrate levels which are not good for people and very bad for infants under six months (who need to be on mother's milk anyway). Warning from the internet concerning lamb's quarters--

"It's called pigweed because it used to be used as pig fodder. The leaves do contain some oxylates and nitrates, though, so intake should be limited especially by those with kidney problems."

Chickweed.
Chickweed is rich in iron as well as vitamin C which helps our powerful immune system (350 mg of vitamin C in half a cup). Chickweed is a mild green and can be used in salads or chopped up in place of lettuce on a sandwich. The cooked young greens taste just like spinach. I sautee garlic and chickweed in butter and add salt. It is delicious. I recall the raw stems being tough one time, but maybe that is because it was a mature plant. Chopping them up probably would have made it easier to chew them. One may be able to find chickweed in winter. Notice the tiny star-like white chickweed flower in the lower right hand portion of the picture. Chickweed grows in a big luscious mat in cultivated areas as well as border areas in the woods.

Dandelion. The entire plant is edible and highly nutritious. It can be eaten raw or cooked. The greens are full of nutrients. If they are cooked down, in a change or two of water, they will not be bitter (save the water for the compost pile). They can also be combined with good tasting greens where their strong flavor can get lost while adding important nutrition to the diet. One ounce of dandelion greens will give you 7,000 units of vitamin A--more than the minimum Recommended Daily Allowance of 5,000IU.
When establishing one's diet, one must be careful lest he get hyper-vitaminosis A from way too much vitamin A. I do not know how much constitutes too much, but if one's diet is varied (6-10 different plants a day if eating wild edibles exclusively), this should not be an issue. Dandelions are an excellent source of iron and calcium and are good for the blood, liver, gall bladder (I read that if you have gallstones, you should avoid dandelion), and kidneys. Roots can be roasted for a non-caffeine coffee substitute or eaten like a potato. 10-15 dandelion leaves has as much calcium as 6-8 ounces of milk. I have heard dandelion flowers described as "pure calcium". Eight ounces of dandelion root equals 814 calories. 3.5 ounces of dandelion root provides 92% of daily recommended fiber.

NOT eat! (Some say they are poisonous (some say they can be cooked); I leave them for robins and mockingbirds--they love them)

Polk Sallet/Polkweed/Pokeweed. (This must be cooked, do not eat this raw.) One day, as a child, I was in the car with my mother as we drove past a stand of trees by the road. "Polk sallet!" she exclaimed. Before I knew it, she had pulled off the road, grabbed a paper bag, and jumped out of the car to load up on polk sallet. She would cook the leaves with her greens. One company sold canned polk sallet. Polk sallet is very easy to find in the yard and in parks. We have a big polk sallet plant growing next to the house. I tried to cut it down but it would not die so somehow I decided to eat off of it. It keeps coming back year after year. This perennial wild vegetable gets up to ten feet tall. The berries and roots are not to be eaten. I have read that you are supposed to boil the leaves in two changes of water but I have fried the leaves in bacon grease with no water and experienced no ill effects--maybe that is because they were young leaves--I do not suggest anyone try this. The young stem (not the big, hard, mature red one) can be soaked overnight and fried like okra. I did not soak mine long enough so it had some bitter residuals but the texture was excellent. They also say not to collect leaves longer than 7". If I do, I just take out the big vein stem connecting them to the plant. Early on, I did not know all these particulars and have never gotten sick, but since you know, may you take good heed and further your research even after you come across these plants. Do not eat polkweed raw, you may get very sick--vomitting and diarrhea. Polkweed has a lot of nutrition-- half a cup of the greens provides 35 calories (10 from fat), no cholesterol, three grams dietary fiber, 100% of the daily need for vitamin A, 60% of vitamin C, 8% calcium, and 6% of iron. Pokeweed has 8,700 IU's of vitamin A per 100g (3.75 ounce) serving. Canned polk sallet was sold into the 1990s.

Activated Charcoal & Clay. I was told that if you eat something poisonous, burn some toast, scrape off the burnt charcoal and eat a tablespoon or two. It is supposed to bind the poisons. (I took burnt wood, scraped off the charcoal, and put it in an old spice bottle for when need may arise.) I have also heard that clay binds poisons. I believe that Native Americans did this. I would just want to make sure that the clay came from a clean, chemical/pollution-free area. Some people purchase edible clay and consume a tablespoon daily for health reasons.

Comfrey.

I was once told concerning comfrey, "A leaf a day keeps illness away." Sometimes I make Comfrey tea (I seep a chopped up leaf or two in hot water for about 10 minutes). Comfrey is a fuzzy, mild tasting green with a deep taproot that brings up trace minerals from the soil. I have read that dried comfrey leaves have about as much protein as legumes. Sometimes, I will chop up a leaf in my salad greens. I also dry it out in the sun and use it in my "green flour". Green flour consists of dried up green edibles that I have ground to powder. I add it to quick breads, sauces, etc. for nutrient density. I will also add water to the green flour to make a batter and then fry tasty, light cakes on the stove, but I do not use a lot of comfrey.)

Update: The book, Doctor Yourself: Natural Healing That Works by Andrew Saul, PhD has an interesting section on comfrey with information from various sources. Basically states use leaf externally (crushed into an emerald green paste) as a poultice for ulcers, etc.) and one-half to one ounce of minced root scrubbed and washed and boiled (5-10 minutes) for a tea for tuberculosis, internal tumors, ulcers, promotion of bone fractures. He warns that "Herbs may be the most natural medicines, but they are still medicines. There are potentially harmful side effects if nonboiled comfrey is consumed in appreciable quantity. This warning especially applies to what is sometimes called "comfrey-leaf tea," which I specifically advise you to avoid. In my opinion, pregnant or nursing women should decline to use any medicine [we would add children, the elderly, those with chronic diseases, etc. In an emergency situation, we need to know what is available to us, the contraindications/dangers, and then be able to figure out which way to go.]. To be comfy with comfrey, consult you doctor and a reliable herbal textbook...." (page 61) Dr. Saul's website DoctorYourself.com has proven helpful to me, particularly his information and books about Vitamin C--I know for myself that it is a healer. One just must take enough, long enough. I have several of his books some of them are--Fire Your Doctor; Vitamin C: The Real Story; Orthomolecular Medicine for Everyone (I think that I have this one; Hospitals and Health, etc.

Warning: I found this on the internet--
"A deceased friend was an extension veterinarian who wrote a book on poisonous weeds. Raising dairy goats was also a hobby of Sam's. Sam had been feeding his goats Comfrey and I remember him asking if I could test the protein level on this herb that had increased milk production of his goats. A few weeks later Sam requested more testing since some of his goats had died, others aborted. It turns out that Comfrey tends to accumulate Nitrates in high levels under certain weather conditions. Many of these "Weeds" are untested under varying weather and growing conditions."

I've never had any trouble with comfrey, BUT IF YOU EAT COMFREY, PLEASE BE CAREFUL AND DON'T EAT TOO MUCH DAILY. I can't tell you how much. I just eat it every once in a while and add a few dried leaves of it to my green flour. This warning is not scare any one away from comfrey, but I do want you safe. I find that AS THE SUMMER GOES ON, THE STEMS of lamb's quarters and polk salad (pokeweed) TURN RED. When I see that, I STOP HARVESTING OFF OF THEM. I know little about nitrates and what they are but it seems to me that they build up as the season goes on.

Concerning the man whose goat died, he may have been feeding it
exclusively comfrey (I read somewhere 30% comfrey caused problems in rats but I don't know how long they ate that much comfrey). Both death and abortion are mentioned in this report on cattle eating excessive nitrates. It says that the bottom 1/3 of the stalk/stem of the leaf contains the highest level of nitrates, so I try to take the stem out of comfrey and use the upper 2/3 of the leaf. Even if the goats died from another cause we do need
to be careful. Women who are with child, young children, people with chronic diseases, and old people are suseptible to more things, I would recommend that they steer clear of comfrey. After reading all these warnings, I started taking out the big stems (especially in the bottom third of the leaf) by folding the leaf long ways and removing it). Just about anything can cause problems if we have too much of it or don't use it aright. Persimmons are not poisonous, but their skins can cause intestinal blockage for people with digestive problems. One man ate 2.2 pounds of them daily for 40 years and ended up with blockage. Allergies to nuts, eggs, and shrimp can kill. We need to be aware of what we are eating whether wild edible or a cultivated edible. Don't eat too much of one wild edible, eat a variety. Linda Runyon who lived off of wild edibles for about 13 years says that eating 6-10 different wild edibles a day should provide balanced nutrition.

The following is excerpted from one of our comfrey links below--

"Comfrey does contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids which have the potential for liver damage. There have been warnings put out against the use of the herb, but evidence of incontrovertible documented toxicity is lacking. In the book "The Safety of Comfrey," J.A. Pembery found no reported cases of pyrrolizidine poisoning from comfrey. He did find one case of pigs in Germany being poisoned by nitrates in comfrey, but not by pyrrolizidine. Lab tests on rats suggest that TO CAUSE HARM TO HUMANS, ONE WOULD HAVE TO EAT ABOUT 20,000 LEAVES. Certainly from anecdotal evidence, many people have eaten comfrey without reservations for decades and been very healthy. Still, to err on the side of caution, limit consumption..."

Comfrey is known as knitbone because of its ability to help quickly heal broken bones (comfrey tea is sometimes called knitbone tea). Here is a quote from, the "Comfrey" entry in The Complete Gardener (by Monty Don)--

For centuries, the mucilaginous leaves (which make good-ish fritters) have been used to heal bruises and broken bones...

Comfrey is a perennial that grows quickly and prolifically. I only eat the leaves occasionally but I've read that the root can be used medicinally as a tea for coughs, salves, etc. I have never tried the root and do not know how to use it or how much to use. I warn against freely experimenting with no knowledge Comfrey is known for its uses as a cell proliferant and has various applications, including the healing of surface wounds (for deep wounds, plantain is the better choice--don't use comfrey--the top will be healed trapping in the beasties deep inside). Comfrey has virtue; cut it down and it pops right back up again. It is easy to propagate by division (but if you dig it up and leave a piece of root behind you'll get another plant!). I hear it is a wonderful addition for the compost pile (I make a concentrated Comfrey tea for my plants--put a bunch of leaves in a bucket of water and let it sit and rot for several days or weeks and then use the dark liquid as a liquid fertilizer.) and can be cut down several times a year. Its ability to come back amazes me. I even did an experiment to see if planting a comfrey leaf with no roots would work--it did, maybe one of three leaves grew into a new plant (if your compost pile is not hot enough you may spread comfrey throughout your beds--a little piece will grow into a new plant--I think that peppermint is the same way). Tomatoes are supposed to love comfrey (I'll put torn up comfrey leaves around the plant.). While I read that comfrey grows wild in Europe, the plant you see pictured is one that I received as a root with a few leaves; it may be Symphytum officinale. I divided this mother plant into a number of plants--comfrey likes moist soil, but does not want to constantly sit in soggy soil. It may do best with a little shade.

Comfrey can also be placed on the compost pile [note: I read that sage is one of the few plants that does not like comfrey]. When a man told me that he buried raw farm animal dung, put some dirt on it and then planted on top of that, it liberated me and greened my gardens notwithstanding the warnings not to do so. They say not to use the raw dung if you are not going to cook the vegetables. I didn't know that when I first used farm animal dung in the garden, but it makes sense. With all the GMOs and things that animals are being fed now, I am pretty in a "whatever grows out there" mode now. I like to stay aware of the wild things and am still finding new plants that I had only seen pictures of before.

Some people apparently use comfrey as a nutritious forage plant for their animals--including farm and zoo animals. Because of comfrey's rapid, lush, plentiful growth it can supply a ready source of regular or emergency food for animals (read more about this in the comfrey links below).

In concluding this section, I was told about the traditional uses of comfrey and was eating and ingesting it in small quantities before ever hearing about possible contraindications. As an interested individual, I have a responsibility to 1) read the warnings about comfrey, GMOs, chemicals, etc., 2) consider them, and 3) decide what actions to take...

Clover. Clover is a good source of vegetable protein. One source said that 15 red clover leaves has as much protein as a slice of Velveeta cheese (I no longer eat Velveeta "processed cheese food"). Leaves, stems, blossoms, and roots are edible and can be placed in salads. The little plants can be dried and powdered and then put in sauces to boost nutrition. Red clover is supposed to be best, but from what I can see, white clover is more common. Clover is a blood thinner (white clover has more of this property) so women who are with child and those on blood thinners and aspirin, etc. probably should not eat it--talk with a professional about it.

Green Drink

Now that I have collected some fresh greens, I can make a Green Drink. In my blender I will place some greens (not raw polkweed, though), an apple and/or a banana, a cup of water (some additional fruit juice is optional--the Green Drink is delicious without it), and some ice. After I blend it all together, I will have a nutritious and tasty drink. No blender? Chop up the food and eat it and drink the water on the side. I was told, "Drink your food and chew your water". Digestion begins in the mouth, chewing, grinding, blending, liquidating, mixing with saliva, etc. On the Weed Walk, I was taught a little song--

♫ "Chew, chew, chew your food,
thoroughly each meal.
The more you chew, the less you'll eat,
the better you will feel." ♫

(to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat--life is not a dream)

6-10 Different Plants a Day

Many of these wild edibles have high nutrition and sometimes medicinal action. One particular plant should not be overeaten. A plant can be so rich in vitamin A that if you eat too much of it, you risk a vitamin A overdose (hypervitaminosis A). Some vitamins, like vitamin C are water soluble--you urinate out the excess nutrients. Others, like vitamin A and vitamin D, are fat soluble--the excess nutrients are stored in your fat, hence you can get too much of them.

If one eats 6-10 different plants a day, they should get well-rounded nutrition and not too much of one substance. This is nothing to fear, people have been eating these plants for millenia, but you need to be aware of this. If we know the basic properties of these plants, we can avoid problems--wild food expert (and nurse) Linda Runyon learned the hard way that sorrel should be blanched before eating.

You may want to take the Weed Walk Quiz before we continue on our walk.

Getting Enough Calories

Greens have dense nutrition but there are not that many calories in greens. If you need 2000 calories a day and a cup of greens is 35 calories, how can you make it? Roots and nuts and seeds and pine twigs and catkins and acorns are places where one can get his calories. There are also edible insects to be found. Please note that not all roots are edible. Trees are not weeds, but they are important wild edibles so we have included a few of their products here. Seeds and nuts have fat in them. We need fat in order to process certain vitamins like vitamin A. Not all seeds and nuts are edible. I counsel the reader to do his research.

Pine needles contain a lot of vitamin C. When European sailors had problems with scurvy the Native Americans taught them to eat pine needles to cure it. Those that listened were cured. Vitamin C is very important in boosting the immune system (and don't forget to drink plenty of water to keep your body flushed out). Pine needles and twigs can be eaten raw or or placed in some hot water to seep for tea. We have had them both ways. I do enjoy the tea and am looking forward to cooking with pine needles and twigs. Author Linda Runyon says, "Pine provides the energy to go on!" (Essential Wild Food Survival Guide) The catkins are tasty little morsels and I think they would make a nice addition to pancakes. This is not low calorie food. I would like to try the layer underneath the bark (not girdling the tree but taking vertically from the bark) which can be used for emergency food and, I hear, can be made into flour and bread. Pine nuts are delicious (I've never foraged for them though--they are hidden in the pine cones to be coaxed out. I have had pine cones open in the house and drop their seeds, but at that time I did not know that they were edible).

Acorns come from the mighty oak and are plentiful in the fall. We collect intact, brown, ripe acorns and crack them at home. We crack the shells with a meat hammer, break up the nut meats, and simmer/boil them in three or four changes of water in order to leech away the bitterness from tannin. I even made an impromptu acorn chili. Acorns have a wonderful texture and could be added to a meat chili, stew, or just about anything. The leeched nuts can be dried and made into flour to add to breads, sauces, etc.. This fall, I want to harvest a bushel or two of acorns and store them like "Great Aunt Mary" discussed at the "More about acorns..." link below.

Acorns have fed man and beast for centuries. Like other nuts, acorns are high in protein, oil/fat, and calories. We need something to keep our bodies going and a bowl of chickweed leaves is not enough. Acorns contain 142 calories in one ounce. That is 1136 calories in one cup of acorns. Acorns are about 8% protein and 37% fat. They are high in calcium and other minerals and rich in complex carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins. They are also a good source of fiber.

I will reiterate--acorns are bitter because of the tannic acid (some are more bitter others. White oak acorns are less bitter--I call the white oak tree a "cursive" white oak tree to remind me that leaves are curvy like a lower case cursive "w" instead of pointed like the oaks with more bitter acorns.) so they need to be leeched in clean water. They taste bad without leeching. Not only that, too much tannin can cause health problems.
When leeching, the water turns red from the tannin. I have read that the tannin water is antiseptic and is a useful wash to wash off sores and other things. This water is traditionally used to tan hides to make leather. I read this about tannin in horses that eat too many acorns: When absorbed from the gastrointestinal track, tannin enters the blood stream and circulates through the liver and kidneys. Upon contact, tannin will damage these very important organs. As a result, the kidneys do not do a good job of filtering the waste products that are usually excreted through the urine. These products stay in the blood stream and are circulated back through the liver, where they cause additional damage.
In the liver, the combination of the tannins and the waste products damages the cells. Now the liver cannot do the efficient job of producing digestive enzymes...regeneration of damaged liver cells is very slow. A horse and a man are two different creatures; however, eating too much tannic acid can cause kidney failure in man.
Native Americans would place the acorns in a moving stream and let the tannin eventually wash away.

Do a search on ways to leech acorns (e.g., smash the nutmeat and boil in three or four changes of water (change into boiling water, do not let them cool off).

Insects

Insects are an exellent source of protein. Ounce for ounce they provide 65-80% protein compared to 20% for beef. Many peoples of the world have satisfied their food requirements with insects. Growing up, I heard on the news of a man who was found living in a cave. He had lived there for 25 years because he thought the war was still going on. He lived off of spiders. Others during war time have eaten slugs (raw slugs can leave you with a nasty parasite) and whatever they could find in the garden. I've read that young children of vegans (people who only eat vegetation with no meat and no meat products (eggs, milk, etc.) have died from vitamin B12 deficiency, even when on breast milk. In a survival situation, if one does not have a steady supply of meat, milk, cheese, etc. that supply B12, one has to look elsewhere. I've read that earthworm tissue provides a good source of protein and B12 but they should be purged and cooked to kill any parasites.

As for us, we have stretched out and tried a few insects and are having conversations about trying others. The Army military survival manual covers earthworms as emergency food--let earthworms fast for a day to purge them of their dirt. Hannah and others have tried earthworms, I have not. I did read about a girl who ate an earthworm without purging and picked up a parasite that settled in her lungs. (After purging the worm, I would cook it, too.) I read about a man eating a raw slug and getting meningitis. Earthworms are easy to find and if cooked well any parasites should be killed (I might dry them and try to grind them to powder and add them to food that way). Grubs are insects at their most nutritious state. I do not know what bites and what doesn't but I have been bitten by a fat little worm. I did eat a chocolate covered cricket once and ants or termites. I hear that you can attract a bunch of ants with something sticky and then add them to stew or some other dish to increase the nutrition (they supposedly taste bad--eating an ant doesn't sound bad to me so I hope to remember to try it soon). Hannah put a plain cricket over a candle flame--she said it tasted like ash. She did not eat the legs. I have seen a sparrow do this to a cicada--take off the body trunk and leave the rest. My nephew ate a dried up earthworm and said that it tasted like a stick. My sister-in-law ate one too and said the same thing. One man prepares and eats slugs (50/50 vinegar/water to kill and remove slime, boils to remove more slime, makes a visceral cut to remove the dark gland near their tail, and eats). People have eaten them during war time. As a child, I tried chewy escargot but I had many images in my mind of the huge snails that crawled up the walls outside our home so I could not enjoy it. At this point, I may try it just to be more acquainted with it. Now is the time for experiments and knowledge. Many will take the mark because they cannot fathom living outside of the world's system.

[Update: Hannah had been eyeing slugs for some time as food (not me). One day she boiled one for fifteen minutes and ate it (she first put it in vinegar to kill it and take off some slime. One man said they have a gland near the tail end that can be taken out because it is bitter. Hannah's slug was small. I told her next time she needs to purge it for a day in the refrigerator.). She said that at first she did not want to eat it, but she chewed it up anyway. She said that it tasted like chitterlings and that I would "love it" and that next time she wanted a bigger slug.]

A lot of the world meets its food and protein requirements through insects--John the Baptist did...

Insects can help you and your animals. Your chickens will probably love Japanese beetles, flies, slugs, comfrey (don't overdo it), purslane, and weeds--which is what they would eat if there were able to fend for themselves. They may also enjoy chard (not a weed but a hearty, highly nutritious cultivar that you can enjoy for most of the year--use it like lettuce and the stalks like celery (though they have their own distinctive taste). Your home-produced eggs will be even more nutritious and cheaper. Feeding greens in addition to layer feed make the eggs much richer in color. I look at farm animals as an important part of the family and consider them when deciding what to grow on my property. [Unfortunately, I don't think that we Christians are going to have much need for our own farm animals in the near future, our future is in the woods which is why this Weed Walk page exists. We need to know and be acquainted with (on a regular basis) what is available to us outside. Now is not the time to mentally settle down thinking that we will set up homesteads that will remain unmolested. We are developing a mobile mindset and although this is a grievous end times situation, we are learning a lot and enjoying these times and experiments.]

Military Survival Manual (I believe it is fm21-76. We printed out most of it from online--excluded an appendix or two--and put it in a three-ring binder. It looks like Amazon sells it but I do not know if it contains all the same graphics.)

Master Class on Wild Food Survival" (a fantastic 3-hour DVD that is the perfect compliment to her books. I only found one low review of this product, but I believe that it was probably because the reviewer was new to foraging and had not read Miss Runyon's books. It is an amazing and timely teaching. If you do not have her books, have not been on a Weed Walk, have not been eating weeds, you may not want to view this first. Do the other things first and, in time, view this important teaching.)

Chris Janowsky survival videos and book on Survival [may upload more information on these specific resources later.]

A dandelion is one of the few milky plants that is considered safe to eat. All parts of it (unlike some other plants) can be eaten. If any children are reading this, DO NOT PICK AND EAT ANY PLANTS WITHOUT YOUR PARENT'S PERMISSION!

10-15 dandelion leaves has the same amount of calcium as a 6-8 ounce glass of milk.

Linda Runyon called dandelion flowers, "pure calcium". I take that to mean that they are extremely high in calcium.

3.5 ounces of dandelion root has a whopping 407 calories and supplies 92% of daily recommended fiber. 8 ounces of dandelion roots can give a man almost half of his daily calories. It is starchy like a potato. You can bake it or roast it like a potato or eat it raw--chew your food thoroughly to get all of the nutrition out of it.

Dandelion is good for the blood, liver, and kidneys.

I have read that up to 10 stems a day is good for diabetics.

If you eat the leaves raw, they have a "bitter" taste, but that's because it is a deep digger that brings up those vital nutrients from the soil. I prefer to chop it up and let it get lost in a salad or cook it down with mild greens. It may not be my favorite stand alone meal (yet easily covered up), BUT IT IS HEALTHY AND IT MAY BE PART OF THE FUTURE FOR ME, MY DAUGHTER, AND MY CHRISTIAN PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!! REVELATION 13:17 CLEARLY TEACHES THAT WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GO TO THE GROCERY STORE. Unprompted by me, my daughter likes to go outside with her pocket knife (may be overkill, I think scissors would work much better), a bowl, a fork, and some salad dressing. She'll collect her field salad AND EAT IT!!!!!!! Do you hear the message of this? If you forage regularly now, you and our children will be used to it. Don't start out reading 100 books on the subject. That is too overwhelming. If you know what a dandelion is, then you can start with that. I am going to add just a few more common wild edibles to this section. They may well be in your yard or neighborhood park. We focus on plants in our own yard. I determined to know the names of the trees on my property. When I hear something about one of them, my ears perk up and I am in a position to do an experiment. I don't need to know how to prepare saguaro cactus buds, there are none here. But tell me about the dandelions, and Lamb's Quarters that I used to ignorantly pluck up, and you have my attention.

Many weeds--like dandelion--have worldwide distribution. With this empowering knowledge at hand, no matter where you are you can, "look down and eat up!". What you are getting here is survival information at the hour that you need it, which is BEFORE you need it. When the economy collapses, I have no intention of going to the government GMO cheese line for a handout. I am equipped to know what wild plants that I can eat that will give me my calcium requirements. A combination of 6-10 different wild edibles can ensure that your body's needs are met.

Dandelion delivers high nutrition in a day when synthetic fertilizers and worn out soils produce nice looking, but nutritionally stripped down produce.

Dandelions can be added to a delicious green drink (an apple and/or banana, greens, 2 ice cubes, 1 cup of water/milk in a blender) or to your "green flour" (dried greens ground up in a hand grinder) for a good tasting green, fiber rich green pancake. [Aside: I have two hand grinders--one for big hard seeds like corn and beans and one for smaller seeds like oats and wheat. I've also used a mortar and pestle to grind and another time used two big stones we have found outside. Don't limit yourself to electricity or what gadgets you can buy. Learn to use your ingenuity. Many of us Americans, like me, are raised "industrialized" and have lost the ability to improvise. The study of the scriptures has led us back to ancient ways of doing things.]

The comfrey plant has virtue. I have cut comfrey down to the ground and in days it is back with an amazing amount of growth. I was so amazed that I took a few leaves, with no roots on them and stuck them in the ground to see if they would grow--and maybe two out of three did. If you leave a little piece of root in the ground, you'll have another plant. It grows in a clump and does not have a spreading habit, but if you do not get all the root or if you till in the leaves, you can get unexpected plants. For some, comfrey can become a weed. I've taken a lot of pieces off of my mother plant in order to start new plants. I just take the trowel and divide the root. Comfrey is a gorgeous plant. I've dried comfrey and powdered it using it in my green flour. To dry it, I like leaving it in the sun on a dry sunny day. I'm told that a sunny car window is a good place to dry plants. I've eaten the fuzzy leaves raw in a salad with other greens. Comfrey is one of those, "refuse not to grow" plants that I seek to specialize in. I give it no special care other than planting it in the right spot--sun, but not too much sun and a somewhat moist (not soggy) environment. I read that dried it is similar to legumes in terms of protein.

Extract from Green is the Color of Health!--Comfrey is sometimes known as "knitbone tea" because it is a cell proliferant and so heals broken bones and wounds very quickly (do not use on puncture wounds, use plantain instead). Excellent source of natural calcium and also the much needed Vitamin B-12. Use the leaves, blossoms, and roots in salads or in tea. Use to heal ulcers, cancers, asthma, and lung conditions, etc. The saying is "a leaf a day keeps illness away". If comfrey were used for no other reason than to help keep the blood stream pure it is worth the effort of getting a root and growing your own plant.

Extract from the internet--

Root Properties
Comfrey root contains significant traces of allantoin, which helps regenerate skin cells. The root is also rich in skin-soothing mucilage. Comfrey root tea can be taken for coughs and stomach upset.

Leaf Properties
Like comfrey root, comfrey leaves contain allantoin and mucilage, though not as much mucilage as the root. Minerals and chlorophyll lacking in the root can be found in the leaves.

Old-Fashioned Remedy
For the more patient potion makers, herbalist Lesley Bremness suggests stuffing a dark jar with a 1-inch-square size of dried comfrey leaves, and storing them for two years. At the end of that period, the resulting oil-like liquid can be put into a small container and used for eczema and other skin conditions.

Culinary
While opinions vary on the advisability of consuming comfrey, folk recipes call for using the younger leaves in salads, or for cooking the leaves and stems like spinach. Few recipes for the root exist, other than as an medicinal tea.

More comfrey extracts...

EXTRACT #1:

For more than 3,000 years, as far back as the Greeks and Romans, herbalists have made numerous claims concerning the powerful medicinal properties of comfrey. It was commonly known as "knitbone" because of its effectiveness in accelerating the healing of broken bones. It was also used to treat various ailments such as ulcers, dysentery, diarrhea, indigestion, gum diseases, tuberculosis and other lung diseases, whooping cough, cancer, and arthritis. Comfrey leaves are rich in allantoin, phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium, trace minerals, calcium, and vitamins A, B-12 and C.

EXTRACT #2

Species of the Month: Comfrey
by Douglas Barnes

Comfrey (Symphytum officinale). What better plant to feature as Species of the Month than this herbaceous member of the Boraginaceae family?

Description

It grows up to 150 cm tall and 60 cm in diameter in warm climates. The optimum growth is in climates where day and night are equal (i.e. the tropics). There, production of 100 to 200 tons per acre (roughly 250 to 500 metric tons per hectare) is possible! However, it will grow in temperate regions. It prefers full sun and soils rich in nitrogen and humus, so interplanting with nitrogen fixers and mulching is a good idea. You can expect to get at least 10 years out of one plant, and a well-attended plant might outlive you!

Comfrey is an herb native to wide swaths of Europe, long known for its soothing medicinal properties. Many over-the-counter skin ointments and homeopathic products include this herb for its healing qualities. One of the effects of comfrey when applied topically is to increase the rate of cell division, so that wounds and burns heal more quickly. A woman in my area posted an advertisement last year looking for fresh comfrey. She had a skin condition that hadn't responded to any treatment she had tried. She used some of my Bocking 14 comfrey to make a tea that she soaked her arms in and later told me that the comfrey helped more than anything else had. She just sent me an email asking if my comfrey had any leaves up yet this year. Comfrey also reduces inflammation, swelling, and irritation. If you enjoy home remedies or making herbal salves, comfrey would be an excellent addition to your garden.

There's an ongoing debate as to whether or not comfrey can be safely consumed, even by animals. There is apparently some level of toxicity for the liver, both in humans and in animals. I am definitely not recommending that anyone consume any part of the comfrey plant. However, some studies suggest that a toxic dosage would only be reached after consuming huge quantities of the leaf or root. Comfrey is very widely used in Japan as an animal fodder, without any ill effects, evidently. And I have spoken to several homesteaders who regularly give small quantities of comfrey leaf to their chicken or duck flocks and even to pigs. I myself have fed my laying hens comfrey leaf about once a month in modest quantities. The chickens absolutely relished the stuff. Since comfrey leaves are very high in protein, this isn't surprising. I never observed any detrimental effect on the hens after feeding them comfrey leaves.

But comfrey has yet other virtues beyond healing and animal fodder. Comfrey is a bioaccumulator plant whose long roots mine minerals and nutrients from very deep in the soil. (There are reports of comfrey roots reaching as much as ten feet deep into the ground!) Other culinary and medicinal herbs grown adjacent to comfrey have been observed to contain higher levels of essential oils and flavor than herbs of the same type not grown next to comfrey. Comfrey leaves can be cut and used as excellent green manures for other garden vegetables. The first leaves put out by comfrey plants each spring were traditionally used specifically with the planting of potatoes, to give the potato plants an early boost of nutrition and growth.

Comfrey is particularly known as an excellent companion plant in fruit orchards, especially apple orchards. With its tall and densely growing leaves, it will easily outcompete other nearby plants, reducing the need for weeding. Though it likes full sun, it can also tolerate the shade under fully grown trees. This contributes to its utility in orchards.

Although comfrey will not spread aggressively if left undisturbed, it is quite tenacious once it is established. And if the earth around it is tilled, new plants will grow from broken off fragments of root. If you want to eradicate comfrey from a particular spot, it will likely take some doing. So choose a spot to plant it with care. I have heard tales of gardeners cutting comfrey to use as green manure when planting other crops, only to find that the cut leaf took root and established itself in the new location. I haven't seen this happen [Update: I have seen this happen], but then I take the precaution of letting all comfrey cuttings intended for green manure wilt in the sun for a few hours after cutting.

Along with its utility as a green manure, comfrey is equally valuable as a foliar feed ingredient. Foliar feeding is a natural form of fertilizing that uses weeds or other plants in a fermented liquid state. Like all anaerobic fermentation, a foliar feed made from comfrey leaves will smell atrocious. But it produces a natural, concentrated liquid fertilizer that can be diluted and applied to the leaves of many vegetable and flowers.

The comfrey varieties I have planted have large, somewhat oval, slightly hairy leaves that grow up to about 18" tall. Near the base of the leaf stalk the hairs sometimes develop enough heft that they become small prickles, much like a summer squash vine will produce. But they are not particularly bothersome. In their second year comfrey plants put out borage-like flowers for a long time from late spring to to midsummer. They vary in color apparently, but my plants' flowers are purple. Most varieties of comfrey do not reproduce themselves well from seed, but will readily grow from root divisions. There are several varieties of comfrey, all of them fairly hardy perennials. Some varieties are hardy up to zone 3, but most are hardy to zone 4 or 5. The Bocking 4 variety was specifically developed as a green manure, while the Bocking 14 was developed as animal fodder.

This is such a useful plant that I recently ordered a third variety, common comfrey, and plan to divide the roots of each type of comfrey I grew last year. It will allow me to make good use of the shaded areas of my property where very few edible things will grow. Instead, I'll harvest the fertility of those spots and transport it to my garden beds in the form of comfrey leaves. I can scarcely credit so many wonderful qualities packed into this one plant. Comfrey has medicinal uses, can feed livestock, and greatly enhances the fertility of my garden soil. On top of that, it is an attractive plant that has few pests and provides a bit of food for bees. I can hardly think of a non-edible plant that I would consider so essential for a sustainable garden as comfrey.

If the long term fertility and health of your garden soils are of concern to you, look into comfrey!

EXTRACT #4:

I. History:

Comfrey has been cultivated since about 400 BC as a healing herb. The word comfrey, derived from the Latin word for "grow together", reflects the early uses of this plant. Greeks and Romans used comfrey to stop heavy bleeding, treat bronchial problems, and heal wounds and broken bones. Poultices were made for external wounds and tea was consumed for internal ailments.

Comfrey (Symphytum spp.) is native to Europe and Asia. Although comfrey has been used as a food crop, and as a forage crop, in the past 20 years scientific studies reported that comfrey may be carcinogenic, since it appeared to cause liver damage and cancerous tumors in rats. Comfrey-pepsin capsules, which are sold as a digestive aid in herbal and health-food stores in the USA, have been analyzed and found to contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids. These alkaloids cause liver damage in people and are a potential carcinogen. Huxtable et al. (1986) cited cases of hepatic veno-occlusive disease that were produced by using these capsules. These reports have temporarily restricted development of comfrey as a food crop.

Three plant species in the genus Symphytum are relevant to the crop known as comfrey. Wild or common comfrey, Symphytum officinale L., is native to England and extends throughout most of Europe into Central Asia and Western Siberia. Prickly or rough comfrey [S. asperum Lepechin (S. asperrimum Donn)], named for its bristly or hairy leaves, was brought to Britain from Russia about 1800. Quaker, Russian, or blue comfrey [S. x uplandicum Nyman (S. peregrinum Lebed.)] originated as a natural hybrid of S. officinale L. and S. asperum Lepechin. This hybrid was called Russian or Caucasian comfrey in reference to its country of origin. Cuttings of this hybrid were shipped to Canada in 1954 and it was named Quaker comfrey, after the religion of Henry Doubleday, the British researcher responsible for promoting comfrey as a food and forage. The majority of comfrey grown in the United States can be traced to this introduction.

II. Uses:

Prickly comfrey was evaluated for its value as a forage by the USDA and numerous state experiment stations more than 80 years ago. Comtrey yielded less than some common forage crops and its high water content of 85 to 90%, in comparison to 75 to 80% for alfalfa, made forage preservation difficult. The extensive hairs on comfrey leaves restricts its use as a forage. Fresh leaves are eaten by pigs, sheep, and poultry, but are frequently unpalatable to cattle and rabbits. Cattle and rabbits will eat the wilted forage. Horses, goats, chinchillas, and caged birds are also fed this forage. In a grazing trial in St. Paul, MN, comfrey was judged to be poorly palatable in comparison with several other plant species. This is probably due to the presence of hairs which wilting alleviates.

Wild comfrey was brought to America by English immigrants for medicinal uses. The allantoin content of comfrey, especially in the root, has resulted in its use in folk medicine for healing wounds, sores, burns, swollen tissue, and broken bones. Allantoin, found in milk of nursing mothers and the fetal allantois, appeared to affect the rate of cell multiplication. Wounds and burns seemed to heal faster when allantoin was applied due to a possible increase in number of white blood cells. Comfrey has been reported to promote healthy skin with its mucilage content that moisturizes and soothes, while the allantoin promotes cell proliferation.

The allantoin applied to external wounds is either a 0.4% solution or a 2% ointment. An effective allantoin formulation is difficult to prepare from comfrey due to the low and variable content of this substance. Hart (1976) reported that dried comfrey leaves contain 0.1 to 1.6% allantoin while dried roots have 0.4 to 1.5%. Since fresh leaves are 85% water, they could not contain more than 0.2% allantoin. It would require anywhere from 8 oz to 8 lb of dried comfrey leaves per quart of water to produce a 0.4% solution that would be effective.

Comfrey produces large amounts of foliage from late May until hard frosts in October or November. This crop has been used as a salad green and potherb because it was considered a good source of protein and a rare plant-derived source of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is produced usually by soil bacteria and fungi or in the small intestines of some animals. Humans usually obtain this vitamin from eggs, dairy products, and meat. However, a study on the nutritional value of comfrey conducted in Australia in 1983 found that you would need to eat more than 4 lb/day of fresh comfrey to obtain the minimum daily requirement of B12. Eating such large amounts of comfrey, a poor source of vitamin B12, is inadvisable due to the potential health hazards.

Protein content of comfrey dry matter (15 to 30%) is about as high as legumes. Robinson (1983) reported specific amino acid and mineral content of comfrey. Hart (1976) mentioned that comfrey has lower amounts of eight amino acids that are essential for humans than turnip greens or spinach, but more than cabbage. Comfrey, like most green vegetables, is deficient in methionine and is also low in phenylalanine. Three ounces of dried turnip greens or spinach, in comparison to 20 oz of dried comfrey, supply adults with the total daily requirement of all essential amino acids, except for methionine. Comfrey also tends to have high ash content.

III. Growth Habit:

Comfrey is a herbaceous perennial plant with short, thick, tuberous roots, a deep and expansive root system: Comfrey begins growth in early-April and by early May compact clusters of young leaves are visible in the crown of the old plant. Within a few weeks, the leaf blades with long petioles have grown to over 12 in. high. Basal leaves are large, lance-shaped, stalked, and coarsely hairy. The stem elongates rapidly and reaches a height of over 3 ft. Upper leaves do not have long petioles and are attached closely to the stem.

Flowering starts in late May or early June and continues until fall. Leaves on flowering, erect stems are sessile or decurrent, and decrease in size up the stem. The bell-shaped flowers with pedicels are in terminal cymes or one-sided clusters. Flowers of common comfrey are usually creamy yellow, but white, red, or purple types have been found in Europe. Prickly comfrey has pink and blue flowers while Quaker comfrey has blue, purple, or red-purple flowers. Seed production is rare, and crops are usually established from root cuttings and crown divisions. Vegetative growth does not cease with the start of flowering, and the plant will add new stems continuously during the growing season. The plant will grow rapidly after harvest and flower again. Comfrey crowns and roots are very winterhardy in northern Midwestern environments.

EXCERPT #5

Comfrey is an Old World, old style medicinal herb once believed to cure almost anything, including, especially, broken bones. In fact, an older common name is "knitbone", and the genus name means "grow together" in Greek. Comfrey has been used as a healing herb since at least 400 B.C. The plant itself is a rampant, clump forming perennial with coarse, hairy leaves and clusters of pink or violet flowers on stems that start out upright, then invariably fall over. Stems and petioles are winged. Leaves are ovate, to 10 in (25 cm) long. The plant forms a clump up to 5 ft (1.5 m) tall and just as wide. Comfrey has a large tap root and seeds itself freely, to the point of being invasive. However, sterile, non-invasive cultivars are available.

Russian comfrey (Symphytum X uplandicum; a.k.a. S. peregrinum) is a cross between common comfrey and a species from western Russia, S. asperum.

Location
Symphytum officinale occurs naturally throughout Europe, where it grows in moist meadows, along streams and ponds and along roadsides. S. asperum is native to the Caucasus Mountains of western Russia. Common comfrey has escaped from cultivation and become naturalized virtually everywhere it will grow.

Culture
Light: Grow comfrey in full sun, or partial shade in hot climates.
Moisture: Comfrey likes a rich, moist soil. It is not tolerant of prolonged drought.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 3-9. Comfrey is a herbaceous perennial that dies to the ground in winter and comes back when warm weather returns.
Propagation: Sow seed in spring. Comfrey is easily propagated by root cuttings and division, and sterile clones that do not produce seeds must be so propagated.

Jack's friend has a large comfrey plant growing in an urn that she keeps on the patio where she can easily pick leaves to put in the bath for a soothing soak.

Usage
Apparently comfrey really does have beneficial medicinal effects. Extracts from comfrey root and leaves contain a compound (allantoin) that, when used topically, seems to speed up the healing of wounds and burns by increasing the rate of cell regeneration. Comfrey also seems to have antibiotic properties. Comfrey extracts are used in ointments and creams marketed to help healing of varicose veins, bruises, burns and rheumatism. Commercial soaps, shampoos, and skin creams with comfrey are available. Comfrey extracts are used in homeopathic medicine for muscle and joint ailments.

Comfrey is used as a cover crop and a fertilizer. The long fleshy tap roots take up nutrients and minerals from the soil better than most plants, and these are made available in the leaves which can be composted, made into a fertilizer tea, or merely used as a mulch around other crops. Used as a fertilizer, comfrey is apparently an excellent source of organic potassium.

In the garden, comfrey thrives in a semi shady, moist environment and makes a good ground cover for a semiwild or woodland setting. Note, however, that the plant can become invasive. Every little broken off piece of root can start a new plant.

Features

You can make your own comfrey extract. Mash up some fresh leaves in a blender and apply directly to burns, wounds, or even healthy skin to promote the growth of new cells and tissue. Dried leaves and roots can be ground up and steeped in hot water to make an ointment. (Don't boil, however, as that will destroy the active ingredient, allantoin.) Add ground comfrey roots or leaves to the bath water for a soothing, beautifying soak.

WARNING
Various parts of the comfrey plant have been shown to induce cancer in laboratory rats. Taken internally, comfrey and its extracts can cause severe gastric distress, and may also cause liver damage in humans. Contact with the fresh leaves can irritate the skin for some people.

Collect the ripe acorns from the ground or spread a sheet under the tree and shake the limbs. Collect three times as many as you think you'll need - expect at least half of them to be molded or infested with insects. "I spread them out as a layer thick on an old sheet which I have laid on a roof, corner of the yard, or some other out-of-the-way dry, sunny place. This lets them sun dry and prevents any possible molding before I get them shelled. It will also kill any insect eggs or larvae, which might beinside. If you cannot lay the acorns out in the sun, spread them in a single layer on cookie sheets in a very slow oven for an hour." (Clay, 2004)

Shell the acorns as you would any nut. A nutcracker works fine on larger nuts, but you many need to slip open the shell of smaller acorns with a knife. Remove their kernels. If a thin brown corky layer clings to the light-colored flesh, peel off the layer.

To prepare acorns for eating, you need to remove as much tannic acid as possible by leaching with water. Besides being unpalatable, raw acorns consumed in large quantities over time can cause kidney damage. The Indians set the acorns in a basket in a clean fast-flowing stream. (Patty Leslie Pasztor shares that they may have used cactus pouches to hold acorns for leaching.) The water rushing through the basket would leach out the tannins in a day or two. Since most of us do not have a clean fast-flowing stream nearby, we need to boil out the tannins. Toss the nuts into a large pot, and cover them with plenty of water. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for about 15 minutes. The water will turn brown as the tannic acid is extracted from the kernels. Throw out the water and replace it with fresh water. Re-boil the acorns, throwing out the brown water several times until the water is clear. The boiling process takes about two or three hours, though the time varies with the amount of tannic acid in the acorns. When you are finished, the acorns will no longer taste bitter and will have turned a darker brown. The nuts have a flavor similar to boiled chestnuts.

Unless you want to use them wet, you need to dry out the nuts. Spread them out on cookie sheets and roast them in an oven at about 200 degrees F for an hour. You can eat the roasted nuts or chop them up to use as you would any chopped nuts. They can be dipped in sugar and eaten as candy. (Peterson, 1977)

You can also coarsely grind the acorns before leaching. Place the ground acorns in a large crock or glass bowl. Then add boiling water to cover and let stand an hour. Drain and throw away the brownish, unappetizing water. Repeat. Then taste the meal. It should have a bit of a bitter tang and then taste sweet as you chew a piece. Continue leaching out the tannin until the meal is mild tasting. Press and squeeze the meal getting out as much of the water (and tannin) as possible. Spread the damp meal out in a shallow layer on a cookie sheet or on trays of your dehydrator. In the oven, you only need the pilot light or the very lowest oven setting. As it begins to dry, take your hands and very carefully crumble any chunks that hold moisture.

To prepare acorn flour, run the whole or coarsely ground nuts through a food grinder or blender. If the flour still is damp, dry it in the oven for 30 minutes. Then regrind the flour, if needed, to the fineness you want. Use it in breads, either by itself or with other flours. The traditional method was to use a stone (mano in the southwest) hand grinder to crush the meal on a large, flat stone (metate). Use: "I think processed acorns taste like a cross between hazelnuts and sunflower seeds, and I often include acorn meal in my multi-grain bread recipes. Adding half a cup of acorn meal to a two-loaf bread recipe and reducing the flour, as needed, works quite well. Because the acorn meal is a natural sweetener, I only use a bit of honey to feed the yeast while softening it, relying on the acorn meal to give sweetness to the bread." (Clay, 2004) As acorn meal is very dense, you will have to add yeast or such to get your bread to rise when adding it.

[Fiber. According to the American Heart Association, the average American takes in 15 grams of fiber. Several organizations recommend 25 - 30 grams a day. The American Dietetic association recommends 25 - 35 grams a day. If your intake is 15 grams or less and you want to increase your fiber intake, increase it gradually. If you jump from 15 to 35 grams a day, it may cause stomach cramping and gas.
Make sure you also increase your water intake when you start increasing your fiber intake. This will also reduce any cramps you get. I enjoy uncooked oatmeal in what we call, "Mother Cereal" oats, grapenuts type cereal (organic or homemade) raisins, nuts, cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, mixed in a plastic pourable container. It keeps the digestive system working smoothly. Sometimes I'll add banana slices.]

Notes:

IU - international unit, a measure of vitamin activity
determined by biological or chemical analyses.

mg - milligram (1/1000 g)

mcg - microgram (1/1000 mg):

We can
consider the recommended daily allowance / recommended daily intake as the minimum nutrient requirement
for healthy people to ward off vitamin deficient diseases. However,
these values do not represent
the amounts of vitamins required for optimal health, which vary among
individuals based on their age, diet, health conditions, exposure to toxic
chemicals and lifestyle.

Recommended daily allowance / recommended daily intake is
also not equivalent to the safe dose of vitamins. In general,
vitamins have high safety limits, which can be several times to hundred
times more than the recommended daily intake. Water soluble vitamins
(vitamin C and vitamin B complexes) have a higher safety limit than fat
soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K). Excess water soluble vitamins can be
excreted readily in the urine whereas excess fat soluble vitamins are
accumulated in the liver and can be harmful.

Since
the recommended daily intake represents the minimum nutrient requirement
to avoid vitamin deficient diseases, it is quite common for vitamin
supplements to contain vitamins and minerals above the recommended daily level
(i.e. % DV
higher than 100%). It is safe to consume these vitamin supplements
according to product label. However, consumers should not increase
the recommended dosage themselves without the supervision of health care
professionals.